Marriage to a Greek Citizen

Every country has laws that apply to its citizens marrying a person from a different country. Getting married to a Greek citizen with the goal of eventually bringing them to Canada to live is a process with many steps.

You must demonstrate to Greek officials that they are not currently married to anyone else. Click here to learn more.

If you want to bring your Greek spouse or partner to live in Canada, you must then file a sponsorship application for them to become a permanent resident. If they would like to visit you in Canada while their application is in process, they must also apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) For more information; please see our family sponsorship page and our eTA article.

 

Greek Marriage Basic Requirements

Greek law number 1250 allowed both civil and religious marriage ceremonies to be carried out in the country, effective from July 18, 1982. This law also legalized all civil marriages performed abroad between a Greek citizen and a foreigner prior to this date.  Previously, only religious ceremonies were recognized by the Greek state.

Canadian Citizens in Greece may be married either in a civil ceremony by a mayor, in a religious ceremony by a priest, or other.  Although there is no residency requirement for Canadian Citizens wishing to marry in Greece, the bureaucratic procedure may take several weeks to complete before a marriage certificate can be issued. (See samples below.)

Marriage licenses can be obtained from one’s current place of residence, prior to coming to Greece, and are generally accepted by the Greek authorities.  This only applies, however, if neither the bride nor the groom is resident in Greece.

The following documents are required to obtain a Greek marriage license for marriage ceremonies performed in Greece which involves Canadians:

• A passport or other travel document.
• A certified copy of your birth certificate, along with an official translation.  Official translations can be obtained at the Translation Department of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 3 Voukourestious Street, 3rd floor (entrance from ORVO Theater) in Athens.  The translation may take up to a week to prepare.
• If applicable, documentary evidence (death certificate or final divorce decree) of the termination of a previous marriage (the most recent, if more than one), along with an official translation.
• Confirmation by a Canadian Consular Officer that there is no impediment to the marriage (i.e. neither party is under 18 years of age; there is no existing legal marriage).  This confirmation is issued in the form of an Affidavit of Marriage signed under oath by the Canadian citizen bride or groom before a Consular Officer in Athens.  For minors under 18 years of age, a court decision approving the marriage is required.

The affidavit must be completed in English and Greek.  The fee for the affidavit is $10.00 or the equivalent in drachmas.

• A copy of the newspaper in which the wedding notice was published.  Wedding notices should be published in one of the local newspapers in the Greek language (the names should be phonetically written in Greek and not in latin characters) before the application for a marriage license is submitted.  In small towns where newspapers are not published, notices are posted by the mayor or president of the community at the City Hall or Community Office.

 

Civil Marriages:

The above mentioned documents must be taken in person to the City Hall (Demarcheio) or the President of the Community (Proedros Koinotetos) where the applicant resides to apply for a marriage license.  If both the bride and the groom are Canadian Citizens, each must submit a set of documents.  The marriage license is issued seven days after the submission of the application and is valid for six months.  The civil ceremony may be performed anywhere in Greece.

Upon issuance of the marriage license, the couples must jointly submit another application to the Mayor or President of the Community where they will marry.  This official then sets the date for the wedding ceremony. Two witnesses, provided by the marrying couple, must attend the wedding ceremony, one of whom will act as an interpreter.  Witnesses should have their passports or Greek identification card with them.

 

Religious Marriages:

The documents listed above must be taken to the priest who will perform the ceremony.  He then will apply for and obtain the marriage license from the appropriate official.  A waiting period is mandatory after the priest receives the documents.  It would be noted that Greek law does not provide for the religious marriage of a Christian to a non-Christian.

Each denomination has specific requirements for celebrating a marriage as follows:
Protestant Church

Requirements

1. Both parties must show evidence of the Christian faith and baptism
2. The couple must meet with the Pastor for a series of premarital counseling sessions, or must have a letter from their Pastor declaring that the counseling has been received.
3. The couple is responsible for making arrangements to have flowers in the church and/or the services of an organist.
4. One of the persons involved must be a Protestant, and neither can be of the Greek Orthodox faith.
5. Two witnesses must be available to attend the wedding ceremony.

Roman Catholic Church

Requirements:

Each party must present the following certificates:

1. Baptism (from the church in which it was performed
2. Confirmation
3. Freedom to marry
4. Banns need not be posted i the case of nonresidents of Greece.
5. Special dispensation is required in the case of mixed marriages.  The non-Catholic party to the marriage must obtain certificate of birth, baptism, and freedom to marry from his or her church.  Divorce is not recognized.

 

Jewish Faith

Requirements:

1. A certificate of freedom to marry, issued by the senior Rabbiante of the area of residence, must be presented.
2. A Jewish marriage ceremony may be performed only if both bride and groom are of the Jewish faith.

Family Members

If your Greek spouse has dependent children, this does not affect the Greek Marriage document application.

If you have dependent children, they have no effect on the application to marry a Greek citizen.

How long is the Greek Marriage document valid?

The document is valid for 6 months from the date of issue. If you do not marry your Greek fiancé within 6 months of the issuance of the Greek Marriage document, you must apply again with new supporting documents.

List of Greek Consulates in Canada

Click here for listings

Calling Greece

To make a direct call to Greece from Canada, you need to follow the international dialing format given below. The dialing format is the same when calling Greece mobile or land line from Canada.

To call Greece from Canada Dial

011 – 30 – Area Code – TEL #

Follow the dialing format shown above while calling Greece from Canada.

011 – Exit code for Canada, and is needed for making any international call from Canada

30 – ISD Code or Country Code of Greece

Area code – There are 85 area codes in Greece. If there is an area code of the city in Greece you are calling, dial it after dialing ISD Code. The format is: 011 + 30 + area code + local number.

Area Codes

 

 

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Location	Code	Location	Code	Location	Code	Location	Code	Location	Code
Aghia Vassilios (of Patras)	2610	Athens	210	Evandros	2710	Katakolo	26210	Lambeia and Divri	26240
Aghio Dimitri and Kentro	26220	Bochali	26950	Gastouni	26220	Kavala	2510	Larissa	2410
Aghios Dimitrios and Daphni	210	Chavari and Aghios Ioannis (Amalias)	26220	Geraki (Amalias) and Peristeri (Amalias) and West Pholoe	26220	Kavasilas and Kardiakafti	26220	Lechaeum and Velon	27410
Aghios Georgios, North Pyrgos	26230	Corinth	27410	Glyfada	210	Kechres or Cenchreae-Acrocorinth	27410	Lechaina	26230
Aigion or Aegion	26910	Dounaiika, west Amalias area	26220	Heraclion	2810	Keratsini	210	Longos-Seliamantika	06910
Alexandroupolis	25510	Drama	25210	Ioannina	2610	Kozani	24610	Loutra Elenis-Isthmia	27410
Almyros	24220	Drapetsona	210	Kaisariani	210	Krestena	26250
Amalias / Amaliada	26220	Eleusis and Aspropyrgos	210	Kalamata	27210	Krini	2610
Andravida	26230	Elliniko	210	Kardamas, Marathia and Palouki	26220	Kyllini and Kato Panagia	26230
Location	Code	Location	Code	Location	Code	Location	Code	Location	Code
Maroussi	210	Panopoulo	26240	Rhion and Northeastern Rhion	2610	Thea-Kallithea	2610	Volimes	26950
Moschaton and Tauros	2610	Paralia and Roitika	2610	Rhodes (city)	22410	Thessaloniki	2310	Volos	24210
Myrsini (Elia)	26230	Patras, Zarchouleika, the city and the eastern suburbs	2610	Rhodes / Archaggelos	22440	Tripoli	2710	Zacharo	26250
Naxos	22850	Perama (Athens) and Nikaia	210	Rhodes / Empona	22460	Varda and Nea Manolada	26230	Zante	26950
Nea Anchialos (Magnesia)	24280	Peristeri (Athens)	210	Roupaki and Elis	26220	Vartholomio	26220
Neochori (Kyllini)	26230	Phaleron (Faliro)	210	Salamis and the island	210	Voula	210
New Erythraea	210	Pholoe East	26240	Salonika	2310	Vouliagmeni	210
Olympia	26240	Piraeus	210	Savalia and Palaiochori (Elia)	26210	Vounargo and Prasino	26220
Ovrya and Krini	2610	Pyrgos (Elia) and Area	26210	Strousi	26230	Vrachneika and Flamboura	210

 

How to Call Canada From Greece

To make a direct call to Canada from Greece, you need to follow the international dialing format given below. The dialing format is the same when calling Canada mobile or land line from Greece.

To call Canada from Greece Dial

00 – 1 – Area Code – TEL #

Follow the dialing format shown above while calling Canada From Greece.

• 00 – Exit code for Greece, it is needed for making any international call from Greece
• 1 – ISD Code or Country Code of Canada

Area code – There are 18 area codes in Canada. The area code is the first three digits of your telephone number.

Province	Code	Province	Code
Alberta	403 / 587 (southern Alberta) 587 / 780 (central and northern Alberta)	Nunavut	867
BC	236 / 250 / 778 (majority of BC) 236 / 604 / 778 (Metro Vancouver)	Ontario	226 / 519 (southwestern Ontario) 249 / 705 (northeastern Ontario) 289 / 365 / 905 (Greater Toronto Area) 343 / 613 (eastern Ontario) 416 / 647 (Toronto) 807 (northwestern Ontario)
Manitoba	204 / 431	PEI	782 / 902
New  Brunswick	506	Quebec	418 / 581 (eastern Quebec) 438 / 514 (Montreal) 450 / 579 (Greater Montreal) 819 / 873 (remainder of Quebec)
Newfoundland and Labrador	709	Saskatchewan	306 / 639
Northwest Territories	867	Yukon	867
Nova Scotia	782 / 902

 

When to call Canada from Greece – Time Difference

Knowing the time difference between the country from which you are calling and the recipient’s country will ensure that you are not making untimely calls.

Greece’s Time Zone

Greece is in the Eastern European Time Zone. Eastern European Standard Time (EET) is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2).

The time difference between Canada and Greece depends on the time zone you are calling. Greece Standard Time is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Canada’s time zones are 8 (PST), 7 (MST), 6 (CST), 5 (EST) or 4 (AST) hours behind GMT (except for Newfoundland, which is 3.5 hours behind) so the difference between Greece and Canada can be as much as 10 hours (for Vancouver) and as little as 6 hours (for Halifax).

 

Daylight Savings Time

Greece observe summer Daylight-Saving just like most states in Europe, where the time is shifted forward by 1 hour; 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+3). After the summer months the time in Greece is shifted back by 1 hour to Eastern European Time (EET) or (GMT+2)

Since Greece does use Daylight-Saving Time the time difference changes depending on whether both countries are experiencing Daylight Savings or not. In the summer time you need to add an hour when calculating time difference in both countries.

Canadian Province / Territory	# of Hours Greece is ahead
Alberta	9 hours
British Columbia	10 hours
Manitoba	8 hours
New Brunswick	6 hours
Newfoundland	5.5 hours
Northwest Territories	9 hours
Nova Scotia	6 hours
Nunavut (western)	9 hours
Nunavut (central)	8 hours
Nunavut (eastern)	7 hours
Ontario	7 hours
Ontario (northwestern)	8 hours
Prince Edward Island	6 hours
Québec	7 hours
Québec (eastern)	6 hours
Saskatchewan	8 hours
Saskatchewan (Lloydminster only)	9 hours
Yukon	10 hours

From 2007, clocks following the new North American standard for Daylight Saving Time are to be turned forward by one hour on the second Sunday in March and turned back on the first Sunday of November.

 

Greek Wedding Traditions

Engagement

Women had different rites concerning the process of engagement and marriage in ancient Athens.  Unless a “krios”, which was a daughter’s father, blood brother, a grandfather, or legal guardian, allowed it, a daughter was not allowed to marry. Before the marriage, the “krios” would announce that he or she was allowing his or her daughter to marry. It was mandatory for suitors to compete against each other for the daughter’s hand in marriage. The suitors would compete in games, songs, dance or by bringing extravagant gifts. The suitor and the father would proceed with a process known as “engysis”, (‘giving of a pledge into the hand’), in which the two men would shake hands and say some ritual phrases when the suitor has been chosen for the daughter. A woman in the ancient Greece did not decide who she would marry, except under very special circumstances, and she played no active role in the “engysis“ process, which was part of their tradition. The two would make a binding promise after the “engysis”, which occurred before the marriage.

The binding agreement was symbolized by the Greek couple exchanging rings in the presence of family and friends.  There was always a big feast after the engagement. This ceremony is considered as binding as the wedding itself.

 

Babies of friends and family are placed on the mattress and gently rolled from side to side on the matrimonial bed as a part of an old-fashioned tradition. The bed is traditionally strewn with rose petals, coins and sugar-coated almonds (called koufetta), as a way of bringing fertility and prosperity to the couple.

 

A tree branch with five twigs and an apple tied to one twig and tufts of red wool tied to the remaining four twigs is placed at the bride’s home until the wedding day, as a symbolic wedding flag. Placing this flag at the bride’s home symbolizes the beginning of the wedding week and it will remain there until the couple is joined together.

Greek brides used to wear traditional wedding veils of red or yellow color sometimes, which symbolized fire. These brightly colored veils were supposed to protect the bride from evil spirits and demons.

 

In ancient Greece, diamonds were considered teardrops of the Gods, and it was believed that a diamond reflects the flames of love.

 

A Greek bride may carry a sugar lump on her wedding day which symbolizes that she will have a sweet life, or she might carry ivy, as a symbol of endless love.

 

As the couple was getting dressed for the ceremony, they would normally be entertained with traditional songs. Before the wedding procession began in those days, there were traditional dances performed in order to keep the guests entertained.

The wedding procession used to begin at the groom’s home where the wedding flag is also raised. Then the flag bearer would lead the procession to the bride’s home where the bride’s mother would greet the groom. The bride’s mother must have greeted the groom with a glass of wine, a ring-shaped biscuit and a boutonnière of herbs for his label. She would pin the herbs to the groom’s lapel, he would kiss her hand and ask for her blessing. She would kiss him on both cheeks as a way of giving him her blessings. The bride’s mother sometimes may have also touched the groom’s neck with incense and give him “embatikion”, which is a gift to symbolize that he is now a part of the family.

 

At the wedding site, the groom must present his bride with her bouquet

The Greek Orthodox weddings are always performed on a Sunday. The wedding ceremony cannot be performed after Easter, Christmas, periods of fasting or the day before a Holy Day. Since marriage is considered a union between two people in love but not a contractual agreement in Greece, vows are not exchanged by the couples.

During the wedding ceremony, two loaves of bread are baked, decorated with flowers and tied together with a white ribbon and are normally separated by a bottle of wine. When the couple enters the ceremony site, the ribbon is cut, they then take three sips of wine and circle the altar three times while the guests throw rice or sugared almonds at them.

According to Greek Orthodox practice, wedding ceremony is divided into two parts: the Betrothal and the Crowning. The Betrothal ceremony consists of blessing the rings over the couple’s heads. The wedding rings are exchanged three times by the “Koumbaros”, the best man. The Crowning is the main part of the ceremony where the couples are crowned by garland wreaths, vines wrapped in silver or gold paper or even crowns made of semi-precious stones and metals. A white ribbon which symbolizes unity joins the crowns. The crowns are packed in a special box after the ceremony. According to ancient Greek custom they are to stay with the couple for the rest of their lives.

Attendants must wear charms (traditionally in the form of a small eye) in order to protect the bridal party from bad luck. The bride may also put a lump of sugar in her glove to symbolize a sweet and happy marriage.  The bride must also carry Ivy in order to symbolize an endless love. The wedding bands are traditionally worn on the right hand, but not the left as is done in my parts of the world.

As a way of symbolizing fertility, the bride normally throws a pomegranate instead of the bouquet. The many seeds thrown symbolizes that she will bear many children.

After the ceremony, the group heads to the groom’s house where the flag is once again raised. The bride throws a piece of old iron to the roof to symbolize the strength of her new home.

At the reception, plates are broken on the dance floor for good luck. A member of the immediate family begins and others quickly follow with much yelling and laughing as the plates are being smashed.

 

Another old traditional Greek wedding that must take place during the ceremony is the money dance. During the reception people usually dance with either the bride or groom while pinning money on their clothes.

 

Traditional Wedding food

Koufetta

These are sweet fresh almonds coated with sugar which symbolize that a couple will have a good and happy marriage.

 

Custom Duties and Wedding Presents

Personal exemptions

Personal exemptions are based on the amount of time you have spent in Greece. These exemptions apply if:

• You are a Canadian resident returning from a trip to Greece
• You are a former resident of Canada returning to live in the country from Greece
• You are a temporary resident of Canada.

If you were away on a trip to Greece for at least 24 hours, you are allowed by law to claim goods worth up to $50 Canadian (excluding alcohol and tobacco) and if you were away for 48 hours, you are allowed to claim goods worth up to $200. If you were in Greece for seven days, you can claim goods worth $750. Children and infants who  have also came back to Canada from a trip in Greece are also eligible for personal exemptions; parents or guardians can make the declaration on behalf of the child, as long as the item is for the child’s use.

You are allowed by law to bring back any amount of goods into Canada from a trip in Greece except for certain restricted goods such as explosives and Firearms. If the amount of items you bring into the country is more than that of your personal exemption, you are required by law to pay duty and any provincial or territorial assessments that apply as far as those goods are concerned. If the law has not conferred upon you any personal exception right, you will have to pay duty on the entire amount of the goods you bring in the country.

Gifts

You must declare all gifts to the Canada Border Services Agency. Gifts worth CDN $60 or less each may be brought into Canada duty-free and tax-free, but they must be declared. For gifts worth more than CDN $60, you may have to pay duties and taxes on the excess amount. Tobacco and alcohol cannot be imported as gifts.

Wedding gifts

If you got married in Ecuador within three months  before coming to Canada or if you plan to marry no later than three months after arriving in the country, you can bring in your wedding gifts free of duty and taxes. However, you must have owned and possessed the gifts while in Ecuador and before you arrived in Canada. At this instance, the requirement to have used the goods does not apply. These same conditions apply to household goods you bring in as part of a bride’s trousseau from Ecuador.

Ownership, possession and use requirements

To import goods duty- and tax-free, settlers must have owned, possessed and used the goods prior to their arrival in Canada and Former Residents must have owned, possessed and used the goods for at least six months before returning to resume residency.

It is important that you meet these three requirements. For example, if you owned and possessed the goods without using them, the goods will be subjected to duty and taxes. Please note that leased goods are subject to duty and taxes because the Canada Border Services Agency does not consider that you own them. If you have bills of sale and registration documents, they can help you prove that you meet these requirements.

 

Exceptions to ownership, possession and use requirements

If you are a former resident then the six-month stipulation will be waived if you have been absent from Canada for five years or more. Therefore, you only need to have owned, possessed and used your personal and household effects/items for any period of time before you return to Canada.

 

Replacement goods

Replacement goods imported by Former Residents are also exempt from the six-month requirement. However, they must have owned, possessed and used the goods abroad before returning to Canada to resume residency. To qualify for the exemption, the goods must be replacements for goods that would have met the six-month ownership, possession and use requirements, except for the fact that they were lost or destroyed as a result of a fire, a theft, an accident or due to other unforeseen circumstances.

 

In addition, replacement goods must be of similar class and about the same value as the goods they are replacing. You will need to show proof in order to support your claim. If you intend to claim replacement goods and to ensure that they qualify, you should call the agency responsible for requirements.

 

Declaring your goods

You must give your list of goods to the border services officer when you arrive at your first point of entry in Canada even if you have no goods with you at the time. The officer will complete a Form B4 , Personal Effects Accounting Document, assign a file number to it and give you a copy of the completed form as a receipt based on the list of goods you submit. To claim free importation of your unaccompanied goods when they arrive, you will need to present your copy of this form.  Goods to follow may be subject to import restrictions before you can import them.

To facilitate the clearance process, you can complete Form B4, before your arrival at the first port of entry in Canada. You can obtain a copy of the form from the Canada Border Services Agency’s web site at http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/.

 

Disposing of goods you imported duty- and tax-free

If you import goods duty- and tax-free into Canada and if you sell or give the goods away within the first year of importing them into Canada, you will have to pay the applicable duty and taxes immediately. If you divert the goods for commercial use, the same rule applies.

 

Religion in Greece

Greek Orthodox Church and Christianity are the largest denomination among religions in Greece. They represent the majority of the population and at the same time they are recognized by the Greek constitution as the dominant religion of Greece. This makes Greece one of the few European countries with a state religion. There is also other non-dominant but equally major religions in Greece such as Catholicism, Protestantism, Hellenic Neopaganism, and Islam.

Various polls have been carried out in Greece with main purpose is finding out whether Citizens of Greece believes in God or not. 81% of Greek citizens believe that there is a God, 16% believed in some sort of spirit or life force and 3% did not believe that there is any sort of God, spirit or life force according to 2005 Eurobarometer Poll. 56.3% believes in God, 20% probably believes in God 7.7% probably do not believe in God while 13% do not completely believe in God according to 2011 poll contacted by Kapa Research which is a major Greek polling firm.

 

Greek Orthodoxy

Greece is the only country in the world where an Eastern Orthodox Church is categorically recognized as a state religion. This is because Greek Orthodox Church which is a member of the Eastern Orthodox Communion is elevated and recognized by the Greece Constitution as the dominant religion in the country. Greek Orthodox Church members comprise between 95% and 98% of the population.

Greek Orthodox Church is recognized as the dominant religion in the country because of the role the church played for the preservation of the Greek nation through the years of the Ottoman Empire but also for the role the church played in the Greek War of Independence.

The Church of Greece is largely exempt from taxes, compared to other religious organizations. Furthermore, the mainstream Orthodox clergy’s salaries and pensions are being paid for by the State at rates comparable to those of teachers. All Greek students in primary and secondary schools in Greece attend Christian Orthodox instruction, although there is an exemption system for students who do not want to attend, as long as the exemption is requested by both parents.

 

Catholicism in Greece

Roman Catholicism

The native Catholic Greeks number approximately 50,000 and are found all over Greece with the majority however found in the Cyclades and the Ionian Islands. The presence of Catholics in the Greek islands is mostly a form of heritage from the time of the Venetian domination from the middle Ages to 1797. The Roman Catholic community has increased in numbers in recent years due to immigration and today number over 200,000

Greek Catholicism

Catholic Greeks of the Byzantine Rite (Uniates) number approximately 5,000 and mostly live in Athens

Hellenic Neopaganism

Hellenic Neopaganism (Dodekatheic) congregations are estimated to be between 2,000 and 100,000 by the group Supreme Council of Ethnikoi Hellenes. 2,000 Greeks practice in the ethnic Hellenic tradition and another 100,000 are considered to have some sort of interest in the practice

Protestantism

The Protestants, including Greek Evangelical Church and Free Evangelical Churches, stand at about 30,000. The belief of the Greek Pentecostal Church is based upon the Bible.  Assemblies of God, International Church of the Foursquare Gospel and other Pentecostal churches of the Greek Synod of Apostolic Church have 12,000 members. Independent Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost is the biggest Protestant denomination in Greece with 120 churches. The Orthodox Church estimates the followers of Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost to be about 20,000.

Judaism

The Jewish community in Greece currently amounts to roughly about 5,500 people. They are mostly concentrated in Athens, Thessaloniki, Larissa, Volos, Chalkis, Ioannina, Trikala and Corfu, while very few remain in Kavala and Rhodes. It is composed largely of two groups, the Romaniotes, Jewish communities dating back to Antiquity, and the Ladino-speaking Sephardim, who arrived from Spain and settled chiefly in Thessaloniki during Ottoman times.

Islam

The native Turks and Muslims in Greece are mostly of Turkish origin though a community of Greek Muslims exists as well. The number of followers of Islam is estimated to be at 97,604 people or 0.95% of the total population, according to the 1991 census. Immigrant Muslims are estimated between 200,000 and 300,000.

Nefterdar Mosque, Kos, Greece.

 

Tzisdarakis Mosque in Monastiraki – Greece

 

Tzisdarakis Mosque in Monastiraki-Greece

 

Other faiths

Other minor faiths in Greece include Jehovah’s Witnesses whore estimated to number about 30,000, Seventh-day Adventists, Mormons and Scientologists. Groups that constitute less than 1 percent of the population include Baha’is.

 

Examples of Christian Churches in Greece

Hagios Andreas, Metropolis of Patras

 

Agii Apostoli church

 

Byzantine Church of Kapni

 

Romantic, Scenic and Historic Places in Greece

Hotels

Greece has a rich history and an incredible culture, making it the perfect destination for travelers from around the world. For the ultimate romantic holiday, however, nothing beats the Greek Islands. Luxurious accommodations, incredible dining, breathtaking scenery and beautiful beaches combine to make many of the Greek Islands the perfect place to visit as a couple.

Santorini

Ikies Traditional Houses

Ikies Traditional Houses is a small collection of suites and studios carved into the rock in the north of the island of Santorini near the village of Oia. Traditional white walls, striking colored tiles and intimate and discrete service make this a supremely appointed destination.

 

Avaton Resort and Spa

Perched on the edge of Santorini’s famous caldera, the Avaton Resort and Spa is an intimate and romantic retreat for grown-ups. A short walk from the pretty village of Imerovigli, the hotel’s petite size and impeccable staff make this a firm favourite of honeymooners.

 

Pegasus Suites

Pegasus Suites is a luxurious collection of rooms, studios, and suites in traditional Cycladic architecture carved into the volcanic cliff side of Santorini. With sweeping views, Greek antiques, and a truly calm atmosphere, the hotel is a sumptuous escape with a discreet and attentive staff.

 

Mystique Hotel

Perched on the island’s southernmost cliffs, Mystique is one of the finest luxury hotels in Santorini. A collection of 18 suites and villas spread across 2000 square metres, it is as elegant and scenic a hotel as can be found across the Greek Islands.

 

Astarte Suites

Astarte Suites is a Small romantic boutique hotel with personal service, pool, and wonderful views. The luxurious rooms include jacuzzi pools and Hermes cosmetics.

 

Agios Nikolaos

St. Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas

St. Nicolas Bay is something truly remarkable: an enticing upscale getaway that blends all the amenities and attentive service of a resort with the intimacy and aesthetic uniqueness of a boutique hotel. And, unlike others in the area, it’s within walking distance (20 minutes) of the pretty port town of Agios Nikolaos, with its seafood tavernas and vibrant nightlife.

Mykonos

La Residence

La Residence Mykonos is a beautifully appointed boutique hotel in Mykonos. Its interiors are a glamorous fusion of French colonial-era furnishings and contemporary lines. Hotel has five swimming pools and it bostsweeping views of Kalafatis Beach and beyond.

 

Symi Island

Aliki Hotel

Aliki Hotel is a former large mansion located in Symi Island and it only takes 3 steps down from the front door into the sea

 

Corfu

Cavalieri Hotel

Cavalieri Hotel is a former 17th century nobleman’s mansion located in-town. This romantic Greek hotel has marvelous views of the Adriatic Sea.

 

Beaches

Milia beach, Skopelos

Milia is a beautiful white-sand beach extending for nearly a kilometer and it is surrounded by pine trees. The sand in Milia beach is very white and shiny and the waters are incredibly calm.

 

Egremni Beach, Lefkada

Egremni Beach is set a apart by the sheer chalky cliffs that surrounds it, giving it a concentration of bright white sand and piercing blue sea. The beach is never crowded and has a relaxed, peaceful atmosphere.

 

Nas beach, Ikaria

Nas Beach is located about a mile in the west of tiny village of Armenistis. The water is an incredibly clear and luminous turquoise

 

Tsigrado beach, Milos

Tsigrado beach has turquoise water and crystalline sands

 

Balos Beach

Balos Beach lies six miles along the rugged Gramvousa peninsula. It has turquoise water and crystalline sands

 

How to Sponsor Your Spouse to Come to Canada

A Canadian citizen can sponsor a spouse and dependent children to come and live with him/her if they are outside Canada. Therefore Canadians are free to get a marriage visa to marry their Greek spouses and sponsor their application for marriage immigration to Canada provided that they meet all the requirements.   If you were married in Greece, the marriage must be valid under the law of Greece and under Canadian law.  A marriage performed in a Canadian embassy in Greece must comply with the laws of Greece.